WHAT IS PLANETARY HEALTH?
Increasing atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases, driven by human activity, negatively impacts global ecological systems and human health.
Human-driven emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and black carbon are primarily responsible for an unstable and changing climate, and most are produced by burning fossil fuels and altering natural habitats. Glacial melting, rising sea levels, increased global temperatures, more frequent extreme weather events, and changes in the abundance, distribution, and composition of species are all linked to the changing climate.
Globally, nearly twice as many natural disasters occurred between 2000 and 2019 and affected roughly 1 billion more people than the period spanning 1980 and 1999. Heat waves, droughts, fires, floods, tropical storms, and other extreme weather events pose both near- and long-term threats to human health and intergenerational equity. For example, particulate matter from fires reduces air quality and causes morbidity and mortality from cardiorespiratory disease; flooding leads to biological contamination of water supplies, displacement, injury, and trauma; and more intense coastal storms, combined with sea level rise and loss of coastal barrier systems (mangrove forests, vegetated dunes, coral reefs, and wetlands), generate a “triple threat” for inhabitants of low-lying coastal areas. Survivors of extreme weather events face long-term, serious physical and mental health impacts.
Climate change and ecosystem transformations are inextricably connected and often mutually exacerbated.
The field of Planetary Health uses a systems approach to connect the complexities of anthropogenic drivers of climate change to natural hazards. Understanding these relationships in terms of cause-and-effect is the first step in addressing climate change and its widespread effects on the planet’s ecosystems and well-being of its inhabitants.
We must take note of these causal relationships and advocate for living within planetary boundaries to preserve what climate stability we can for the safety of future generations and our biosphere.
Infectious Diseases Climate Change
This study tracks how neglected tropical diseases and malaria have changed from 1990 to 2021. It finds ongoing health gaps between countries and predicts that disease rates will rise, especially in poorer regions.
• Research & Reports
Direct Injuries Chemical Pollution
This study examined how chemical air pollution and noise affect emergency hospital admissions in Madrid during hot and cold months. It found that both pollutants, especially noise, significantly impact vulnerable groups like children and older adults.
• Research & Reports
Climate Change Technology and Innovation
• News
Climate Change Education
Prof. Dr. Jemilah Mahmood opened the Climate and the Future of Health conference in London, emphasizing the urgent need for climate-resilient health systems and transformative leadership amid rising climate risks.
• Videos
Climate Change Health and Care Systems
This Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI) policy column addresses the growing need for nurses to adopt a Planetary Health perspective amid rising climate-related and environmental health challenges. The column highlights the formal inclusion of Planetary Health in Japan’s Model Core Curriculum for Nursing Education starting in academic year 2026, and emphasizes its relevance for undergraduate training, community-based care, and continuing professional development in a changing climate.
• Research & Reports
